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Poor Law records

Poor Law Unions were formed following the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. Prior to this date, paupers were relieved by the Overseers of the Poor in their parish of settlement (see our research guide on 'The Parish Poor Law system' for more details). One of the first tasks of the elected Boards of Guardians was to build a Union Workhouse in which those unable to support themselves could be housed. The system lasted until the Public Assistance Act of 1929 when the responsibilities of the Boards of Guardians were transferred to County Councils (ref. C/PA).

A Union consisted of a number of parishes, usually 16-20, and the Workhouse was usually built in the main town of the area. There were various standard plans that could be used according to the likely number of paupers in the Union.

Somerset Unions

There were 16 Unions in Somerset:

Axbridge (ref. D/G/ax)

Langport (ref. D/G/l)

Bedminster & Long Ashton (ref. D/G/bd)

Shepton Mallet (ref. D/G/sm)

Bridgwater (ref. D/G/bw)

Taunton (ref. D/G/ta)

Chard (ref. D/G/ch)

Wellington (ref. D/G/w)

Clutton (ref. D/G/cl)

Wells (ref. D/G/we)

Dulverton (ref. D/G/d)

Williton (ref. D/G/wi)

Frome (ref. D/G/f)

Wincanton (ref. D/G/wn)

Keynsham (ref. D/G/k)

Yeovil (ref. D/G/y)

Bath workhouse records are held at Bath Record Office.

Records

Workhouse records can be divided into two series:

  • Information about individual paupers
  • Records relating to the management of the workhouse

The survival of workhouse records varies considerably from Union to Union, so the documents listed in this leaflet may not exist in every case.

Information about individual paupers

Admission and discharge registers: These registers (ref. D/G/*/60) list all the paupers coming into the workhouse and those who left, arranged chronologically. The format of the registers changed in 1866 and the later ones give more information such as name of pauper, date of admission, calling (occupation), religious persuasion, place of birth, class of diet, and parish from which admitted. The pre 1866 registers do not give calling, religious persuasion or place of birth, although they do give reason for admission. Indexes for many of these registers are available on our online catalogue.

Birth and death registers: The birth registers (ref. D/G/*/67) have columns for date of birth, names of the parents (although as the great majority of the children were illegitimate this is often only the mother’s name), parish to which the parents belonged, date of baptism and child’s name.

The death registers (ref. D/G/*/69) have columns for date of death, name and age of the pauper, parish to which they belonged and place of burial.

Creed registers: These registers have columns for name, date of admission, parish from which admitted, religious persuasion and whether the pauper was discharged or died in the workhouse (ref. D/G/*/78).

Offences and punishment registers: These give the name of the pauper, the offence committed, and the punishment awarded (ref. D/G/*/87).

Other records: Other records that can provide information about individual paupers include apprenticeship indentures (ref. D/G/*/37), maintenance accounts for boarded out children (ref. D/G/*/42), incoming and copy outgoing correspondence (ref. D/G/*/57), and ‘casuals’ admission and discharge registers (ref. D/G*/121).

Records relating to workhouse management

Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Guardians: There is usually a complete run of these volumes from 1836-1929 (ref. D/G/*/8a). They are administrative records containing information on the supply of food, clothing and furniture to the workhouse, the appointment of staff, decisions about the responsibility of the Union for a particular pauper, disciplinary matters, and other management decisions. Individual paupers may be mentioned, but this is rare.

Financial records: The most important of these are the ledgers (ref. D/G*/9a), but there are also accounts for daily, weekly and quarterly provisions, the Workhouse Master’s receipt and account book, and the farming and clothing accounts.

Report books: These were kept by the Visiting Committee, the Master, Chaplain, the Porter, Medical Officer and Nurse and provide reports of their role within the workhouse (ref. D/G/*/93, 94, 95, 97, and 99a).

Records held elsewhere

Correspondence between the central Poor Law Commission or Board and local poor law authorities for the period 1834-c.1900 is held at The National Archives in Kew (ref. MH12). Later correspondence was destroyed during the Second World War.

A note on access

Access to a number of records (for example admission and discharge registers) is restricted in accordance with Data Protection Legislation. Please see our ‘Data Protection and Freedom of Information’ research guide for further details.

Poor Law Legislation

1834 Poor Law Amendment Act

  • Parishes formed into Poor Law Unions, governed by Guardians (elected by voters)
  • Relief only given in the workhouse - only the aged and infirm can get outdoor relief

1840s - Several scandals about conditions in workhouses catch the headlines.

1846 Act

  • Principal of irremovability first appears: if a person has resided in a parish for five years, they cannot then be removed when they becomes chargeable - although place of legal settlement does not change. 

1861

  • Irremovability time period reduced to three years.

1865

  • Irremovability time period reduced to one year.

1919

  • Poor Law administration moves to the Ministry of Health

1929 Local Government Act

  • Workhouses and Poor Law Unions abolished.
  • Workhouses become Public Assistance Institutions, and eventually become, in effect, geriatric hospitals.

1948 National Assistance Acts

  • Formal abolition of the poor law system
  • Public Assistance Institutions end - responsibility now rests with central Government.

Useful sources

  • Buchanan, C.A., (1977), The introduction of the new poor law of 1834 into the Unions of Bridgwater, Taunton, Wells and Williton, (GO 362.5 BUC).
  • Crowther, M.A., (1981), The workhouse system: the history of an English social institution, (S 362.5 CRO).
  • Hurley, J., (1974), Rattle his bones: a century of poor law, based on records of the workhouses at Dulverton and Williton, (S 362.5 HUR).
  • Reid, Andy, (1994), The Union Workhouse: a study guide for teachers and local historians, (S 362.5 REI).
  • A useful website containing information about workhouses can be found at www.workhouses.org.uk.